A New Beginning
by RangerNinja
Summary: They never knew it would be the beginning of the end. The ninjas are carrying on with their "normal lives". But being a ninja can't help everything. Watch the ninjas face college, jobs, illness, and... love. A ninja's worst nightmare. KaixOC ColexOC ZanexOC LloydxOC JayxNya. Takes place after the final battle. Formerly known as NerdyAndIKnowIt.
1. February 7, 2012

**Hello. After the season finale, I just wanted to do an "after-the-series" type thing. I just hope this isn't the end!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ninjago**

-Kai-

I never knew these would be my famous last words, "Maybe we can use what we've learned as ninjas to help us in our everyday lives."

I never knew.

It all began on a chilly February afternoon. The sky was thick with fog as I walked to the University of Ninjago. A few years had passed since the final battle. I was going on twenty-one in the next month. College life was tough, trying to keep up with the rent for my apartment, homework, classes, and my part time job at Dareth's dojo, plus my shift at Ninjago Roll Tacos. All of the ninjas eventually ended up going to college, Cole in archeology, Zane in computer engineering, Jay in robotics, Nya in robotics and inventing, Lloyd in teaching, and myself in microbiology.

I know, I know, out of character for me, but, I was looking for a new beginning, and microbiology was one of my hidden interests. Nya did a spit take when I told her.

So, back to the point. I was almost late, as usual, trying to frantically finish my orange juice. My class was less than a minute away when the worst happened.

I dropped my books.

Now, being a ninja, you may think I am capable of quickly snatching up my books and making it to class on time, and I would have, if it weren't for Skai.

"Do you need some help?" She asked, a sympathetic grin on her face.

"No, I'm fi-"

But, before I could finish my sentence, she was on the ground next to me, picking up my books.

"Sorry, couldn't help myself. It's happened to me too many times. By the way, my name's Skai."

"Kai."

"Nice to meet you."

"Ditto."

I stood up after sloppily shoving my books back in my bag.

"Look, sorry, but my class starts in two minutes and…"

My voice trailed off as I got a good look at the girl. She had long, straight dirty blonde hair with an almost square-shaped face. Thick black glasses rounded her perfectly brown eyes.

"Hello? Bookboy?"

I snapped back into the real world, blushing with embarrassment.

"Sorry, I-I just… Was making sure I had everything in my bag."

Skai laughed. "Yeah right." She began walking away, and I did what I knew I had to do.

"Wait!"

She stopped in her tracks and looked back at me expectantly. _Shoot, let Jay's guy training finally pay off._

"Well, my buds and I are hanging out at that diner on the corner of Maybourogh and Crofton at about seven tonight if you would like to join us?"

"Sure!" _Yes. _"I'll see you there!"

"See you there!"

I walked into the university, a new light in my steps, even though I was late.

But no amount of ninja training could prepare me for what was coming next.

Love.

-Cole-

The bag heaved under my punch, rebounding, swinging, swooping, dodging my every step until I collapsed to the ground.

Wasted.

Things were not going well in Cole World. I had recently been laid off my part time job at Ninja-Shop, a big supermarket in the middle of town. There barely was enough money left from working for Dareth to pay the bills. I wanted to look into a job at that diner on the corner of Maybourogh and Crofton, Cassie's. They were always looking for new faces, even if restaurant jobs were not my cup of tea, so I asked the others to go along with me tonight. Along with that, I had just broken up with my girlfriend, Tally, like, two seconds ago. Thankfully, in return for keeping him alive, Dareth gives us free roam of the dojo. I would blow off my steam on the bags, then focus and meditate when I could, but it was rare. Most of my time was spent with school.

I could feel the forbidden flow of tears threatening. Why did life have to be so hard?

That's when I met her.

Some say 'the one', some say 'meant to be'.

I like to say 'her'.

Koko, my night and day, pencil and paper, cake and icing….

What? Is it wrong for a grown man to like cake?

She strolled into the dojo and paid her fare at the front desk where Zane was waiting for the next class to start, the teenage class. The girl walked over to the bag next to mine and started to stretch.

"Hey," I attempted.

"Hi."

I noticed very quickly it would take some coaxing to get her out of my shell.

"So, have you been here before?"

"No, this is my first time."

_Think of witty remarks! _"Well, be careful on the obstacle course. The first time I used it, I couldn't sit for a week!"

The girl turned away.

_Idiot!_

"So, wha-"

"Could you quit hitting on me and punch the stupid bag!" I was taken aback by the harshness in her statement. I quickly turned and looked at my bag.

"Sorry, it's just, well, my life is messed up right now and-"

"I know how you feel."

Koko looked at me, a glare, a challenge in her eyes. "Try me."

"Lost my job, lost my girlfriend, lost half of my adolescence because I had to train to be a ninja-"

"Orphan, sister died, brother in hospital with cancer, can't find a job, can't pay for college, deaf in one ear, dyslexia."

That sure did shut me up.

We turned to our bags and punched the living day lights out of them, taking out every ounce of fear, terror, and guilt and every throw, keeping our mind on the game… for the most part. I couldn't keep my mind off of Koko.

Before I knew it, it was time to go to the diner. Zane called across the dojo for me, and I turned to Koko.

"You know, Cassie's is always looking for new faces," I mentioned, giving a subtle mention of invitation.

"Cassie's?"

I frowned. "You don't know what Cassie's is?"

Koko shook her head. "I just moved from Jamonikai Village two weeks ago for my brother's treatment."

"Would you like to come? You could meet my brothers. I'm applying tonight."

"Well, I have nothing better to do."

Oh, how that would change.

**Do you like it? By the way, this has no relation to To Defeat the Dark Lord at all, except for the OCs.**

**~NerdyAndIKnowIt**


	2. February 7, 2012 II

**So, if you didn't notice, I am going to be naming the chapter after the date of the events that occur during it, so, this one will also be called February 7, 2012. I hope you like it. I am also working on Peril, so updates will probably be slower than I would have hoped they'd be. Oh, and the characters are older than I described them last chapter. Kai is 27 now.  
**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Ninjago.**

-Jay-

When Cole walked into Cassie's with a girl, I found myself cracking up.

"Jay! What was that for?"

"You've got yourself a girlfriend!"

Cole blushed, and the girl saved Cole from more embarrassment.

"No, we're just friends." She stuck out her hand. "I'm Koko."

"Jay," I replied, shaking it.

We all took a seat, leaving a seat for Kai and Nya.

"So, when did you guys meet?" Zane asked, trying to break the ice. **(hahaha... ice.)**

"Koko came in and used the dojo today," Cole said, face no longer blushing, "She was looking for a job, so I invited her along."

"Cool," I said, giving Cole a 'yeah right' look. He stuck his tongue out at me.

My eyes wandered to the window, and I saw Kai outside, standing as if he was waiting for someone. I lightly tapped the window, and he turned to me. When I motioned for him to come in and get out of the February chill, he just shook his head.

"Kai's here," I said, "but he won't come in."

A girl walked up to Kai, and said something to him, probably hi. He opened the door for her, then came in himself. Cole pulled Koko up to find the job applications, obviously seeing how this would end up. Kai had never introduced a _girl _to them before, well, besides his sister, but that doesn't count. He pointed towards the table we were sitting at and they walked over. The girl sat in one of the empty chairs, and Kai in the one next to her.

"Kai," Lloyd inquired, "Who's your...friend, here?"

"I'm Skai," the girl, shaking all of our hands. Seeing Kai's nervous face, almost in love, I felt the urge to play match-maker, as the others had done with Nya and I when we were kids. _Come on, dude. You're, like, 26._

"So, when did you and Kai meet?"

"I dropped my books, and Skai stopped to help me, so I invited her along."

"I mean, I had seen Kai before in the student center, but we never had met face to face."

"Me, too, and I figured it would be the nice thing to do," Kai finished a little awkwardly, obviously relieved to have that taken care of.

Cole and Koko came back with thick stacks of paper and pencils. Koko's face lit up with surprise.

"Skai?!"

"Koko?!"

"Is that really you?"

They jumped up an gave each other a hug, asking each other rapid questions like 'how are you?' and 'where have you been?' They could have gone on forever if it weren't for Lloyd.

"Okay, what's going on? Do Cole and Kai's girlfriends know each other?"

"That's it! We are just friends!" Cole quietly shouted back, but Kai did nothing but blush. Skai didn't oppose either. She instead responded to the question.

"We went to grade and high school together, but then Koko moved and I haven't seen her since."

The table was silent, and Skai and Koko quietly sat back down in their seats, Koko picking up her pencil and filling out her paperwork.

"Ooooooh... that makes a lot of sense!" Lloyd shouted. I glared at him. "Body of a 25-year-old, mind-set of a 16-year-old."

Everyone laughed, especially the ninja, knowing the back story of that phrase. I noticed Koko putting down her pencil.

"I need to use the restroom."

"Me, too," Skai added.

"Have fun," Lloyd replied.

As soon as they were out of ear-shot, I turned to Lloyd. "Really? Are you trying to burn a bridge with Cole and Kai?"

"Hey, that's what I do."

-LLOYD-

Okay, it's not that I'm a complete jerk, I just feel so left out. Everyone moons over the 'elemental ninjas' and overlook ME! Hello? I'm the one who battled my father and saved Ninjago City!

Oh, well, back to the point. I wasn't backing down without a fight. Time to play match-maker.

"Kai, you seem to really like Skai."

"Pshhh, no," he said in an unconvincing tone, suddenly taking interest in the pattern of the tiles on the floor.

"Really? Because you didn't object when I called Skai your girlfriend?"

"Umm... well... you know... I... uh."

"Face it, dude, you're in love," Jay added.

Kai blushed, then gave in. "Fine, maybe I like her a little, but what do I do? I've never had a _girlfriend _before?"

"Ask her out."

"WHAT?!"

"Ask her out." In perfect timing, Skai and Koko walked out of the bathroom.

Kai blushed and began frantically twitching in anger **(déjà vu, TDTDL readers?)**. We got up from their chairs and moved to another table, trying to look as normal as possible. Seeing what was going on, Koko gave Skai a little nudge, urging her to sit with Kai at the table. Koko and Cole sat down, still filling out paperwork. Zane was examining the music box with unfocused concentration. I was dumbly twiddling with my straw, stealing glances at the blossoming couple, while Jay sat down and pretended to play a game on his phone.

"So," Skai began.

"So..." They sat in awkward silence for a few moments. I could see the nerves in Kai's eyes, so, being the great friend I am, I gave Kai a 'get on with it' gesture.

"So, what are you studying?" Skai asked, breaking the inevitable silence.

"Microbia- eh, Microbiology." I could tell Kai was cursing himself for stumbling over his words from the look in his eye. "You?"

"Crime Scene Investigation."

"Cool."

A cold silence slithered among them, again, but Kai couldn't stand it any longer.

"So, you want to hang out Sunday night? We could see a movie or something?'

"Sure!" Skai replied a little too loudly, "That would be great!"

"So, should I meet you at Center Point Theater at seven?'

"Okay."

The romantic moment was broken by the waitress coming by to take their empty cups for a refill. Skai looked at her watch and turned to Kai.

"I'm sorry, but I've got to go. I have an exam tomorrow and still need to study."

"Okay, well, I'll see you on Sunday."

"See you on Sunday."

Skai waved back at him as he exited the diner. We came flooding back to our original seats.

"I beat the boss level," said Jay.

"They had some adequate music selections in the music box," Zane stated.

"I'm done with my application," Cole added.

_Enough with the stupid cover-ups. _"Nice job, dude."

Kai blushed, Cole and Koko stood up while the others laughed to give their applications to the person in charge and were told they would be called in the next three days. Koko said thanks for the help, gave Cole her number, and left the diner on her phone, probably with Skai.

_He he he... mission complete._

**Okay, my friend almost had a heart attack from laughing when she read the frantically twitching line in To Defeat the Dark Lord (TDTDL), do I had to use it! R&R!  
**

**~NerdyAndIKnowIt  
**


	3. Valentine's Eve, 2012

**Hey, fanfic!**

**I'm sooooo sorry! I accidentally hit the back button typing this and everything went away, so I got aggravated and stopped, but I'm back! Also, pretend the ninjas graduated college...  
**

_The Day Before Valentine's Day_

-Jay-

"I am freaking out, man!"

I was at Derek's dojo on my shift with Zane. He was the only one I was comfortable talking about this with.

"I'm 95% sure that Kai will not mind when you ask him."

"Yeah, but what about Nya?"

"She's loved you for more than nine years. She has been waiting for this for a while now."

"But will she say yes?"

That's right, I was preparing to propose to Nya, the love of my life, but I wasn't sure how. I knew I would have to ask Kai before I did. If he said yes, I would ask her tomorrow, probably at a romantic dinner or at a place with a nice vi-.

I cut my own thoughts off when I realized what I would do. I would go on the roller coaster at Mega Monster Amusement Park that we had first kissed on. To keep the ring from flying away, I would tie it to my finger with a piece of floss. I would pop the question right before the camera.

Perfect.

The door chime rang as Kai walked in for his shift. Zane scooped up his backpack and cellphone and winked at me as he left.

"Hey, Jay, how's it going?"

"G-Good," I said, trying to cover up my nervousness in vain.

Kai raised an eyebrow. "What's going on?"

-Kai-

In all honesty, I knew exactly what was going on.

Jay was going to propose to Nya tomorrow, and no, that was not because I accidentally got the email Jay sent to his parents about the ordeal.

Well, it's about time. I cannot even remember how many times Nya had hinted it to Jay and he had ignored it. I mean, I may have only had one successful date with a girl, but I can at least take a hint!

"Nothing's going on, it's just..."

"I know exactly what's going on."

It took a lot of man power to keep from laughing at the sight of Jay's face. I decided to have some fun with him before he married my sister.

"Yeah, you're trying to steal my woman! I finally have a successful date, and you just go running off with her!"

Jay's face softened, a little, "No, no, no, it's just..."

"What is it then?"

Jay's face flushed as he removed the small square box from his pocket and flipped it open under the desk. It was silver band with a beautiful diamond and tiny pieces of gold in it.

"Point one, Kai."

"What?" Jay's face was even more hysterical, now.

"Check who you are sending your emails to, bud."

Jay frantically took out his smart phone and opened his email. Looking in the sent section, he put away his phone.

"Ha ha, very funny."

Their conversation paused as Jay helped a customer with the obstacle course, and when he returned, I was cracking up.

"Seriously, dude, you really thought I would say no? What choice do I truthfully have in my sister's life?"

The color returned to Jay face as he rubbed the back of his neck and laughed nervously.

"So, I'll take that as a yes?"

My face got excited. "It would be my honor. So, how are you planning to do it?"

I listened as Jay explained his plan to me in a rushed whisper. His grinning was getting bigger with each word, as was mine.

"Clever," I stated, nodding in approval. I could imagine my sister's beaming face already.

"So, how did your first date with Skai go?" Jay suddenly asked me, obviously trying to get some of the attention from himself.

"Great. We saw "The Nightmare" and had dinner at Pete's Pizzeria."

Jay's face contorted, holding back a laugh. "You took your girlfriend to see "The Nightmare"?"

"Hey, she wanted to see it!"

Jay's face straightened as he collected the fare for use of the free room. A few of the students in the next class started to show up, so Kai took that as a hint and went to work.

**I know, really short chapter, but the next one should make up for it. So, without further ado, let's answer some reviews, shall we?**

**Silver-Ninja-RAWR: Thank you for your support! I have to say I've never seen a story like this one, either.  
**

**KirbyofRandom: Yes, poor Cole, and I will keep in mind that there still might be more episodes (Oh, how I hope!) I also love how Jay and Lloyd are the matchmakers. It seems like something they would do.  
**

**Guest: Maybe they will...  
**

**ninja girl777: 1.) AWESOME! 2.) Cool. I watch it on TV. 3.) Nice to know! Cannot wait for the continuum!  
**

**symmetery888: Thanks!  
**

**Guest(2): Thanks! **

**Shizuka Taiyou: Thank you! Welcome to the Ninjago FanFiction Archive!  
**

**Also, It has come to my attention that I am desperately obsessed with The Ranger's Apprentice, so, first, I'm going to demand you all to read this book. It is amazing! Second, I have recently hit a 'reading phase', so I'll probably not be updating often. Invisible Kai dolls for whoever has... A. Read Ranger's Apprentice, B. Buys/has bought Ranger's Apprentice, or C. Checks Ranger's Apprentice Out from the library.  
**

**:D  
**

**Thank you for reading! See you soon!  
**

**~NerdyAndIKnowIt  
**


	4. Valentine's Day, 2012

**Wow! I'm really on a roll, aren't I?**

**So, as I rudely forgot to say, Merry Belated Christmas, or Happy Hanukkah, or Happy Kwanza, and, if I don't update, Happy New Year! 2013!**

**To the story, shall we?**

**Kai- *attention getting cough***

**NAINI- What?**

**Kai- NerdyAndIKnowIt owns none of the characters or past story line in this story. All credit goes to Cartoon Network and Lego.**

**NAINI- ...Show off.**

****Valentine's Day, 2012

-Jay-

_Okay, I've just got to calm down, yoga breaths, Jay, yoga breaths..._

"Jay! I'm ready to go," Nya said, snapping me out of my near hypnotic trance, "Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see," I said, forcing a mysterious smile on my face. This was the day my life would change, hopefully for the better.

-Nya-

Grrrrrr... why won't he tell me where we are going?

I've known him for nearly ten years. I would hope he knows I don't like surprises. Plus, it was Valentine's Day! That holiday is so hackneyed!

"How was work?" I asked. I had taken the day off yesterday for my friend's wedding, so I wasn't in the shop.

"Busier than a pool on a hot summer's day," Jay replied, "I wish you were there. You patch up cars much quicker than some of our co-workers."

I had to giggle at that one. In fact, the majority of our co-workers are lazy bums, and the thought brought back memories...

Oh, come on! Won't he tell us where we're going!?

"Jay, are we there yet?" I whined.

"Soon," Jay said, turning up the radio, leaving me gaping at his rudeness, well,, at least until I saw the sly smile on his lips. I smiled and noticed that I had been rude, too.

After what felt like an eternity of torture, we pulled into the parking lot of MegaMonster Amusement Park.

"Really? You brought me here for Valentine's Day?"

-Jay-

Usually, I would be offended by a remark like that, but I just smiled and took Nya's hand, leading her to the ticket counter. I paid and we entered tha park. Looking around, I found what I was looking for.

The roller coaster.

It had been fixed since they had last ridden it, nine years ago, when I was kissed by Nya and saved her life, using my true potential.

I fingered in the pocket and found the ring that I had tied to my finger with a piece of yarn, so I could propose while the roller coaster was moving.

"Nya, how about we ride the roller coaster?"

Nya looked scared, her mind obviously crowded with bad memories from that fateful day. I moved in and put my arm across her shoulders, giving her a sweet little peck on the cheek.

"Don't worry, I'm here."

After a few moments of arguing in her mind, Nya looked at me.

"Let's go," she said.

-Nya-

_What am I thinking? _I thought as the attendant tightened my seat belt. I look over at Jay, who looked more nervous than I was. When he noticed I was watching him, a bright, reassuring smile appeared on his face. _As if..._

The cart lurched as the ride started. I grabbed Jay's hand, and he turned to me.

"Nya can I ask you something?"

I was puzzled. "What's up?"

"Well, I love you with all my heart, and I was wondering, will you marry me?"

He took the ring out of his pocket, and my hand went to my mouth, tears forming in my eyes.

"Yes!"

For the rest of the ride I was floating in air, all of my worries forgotten.

-Jay-

At the end of the ride, I helped Nya out of the cart and got down on one knee, slipping the ring on Nya's finger. I could hear the other riders and the people in the line cheering as Nya and I kissed.

_Best... day..._ EVER!

**So, do you guys like it? I hope so! Well, bye for now, hopefully not for long!**

**~NerdyAndIKnowIt **


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